“Technically Speaking” - Is Your Organization Ready for Expanse?
By: Nicole Desjarlais-Paulick, Director, Client Services
Implementing or upgrading to the MEDITECH MaaS Expanse platform brings many opportunities to an organization; new patient safety and patient care features, improved revenue cycle tools, and robust Business and Clinical Analytics dashboards are just scratching the surface of all that Expanse has to offer. Before staging up for an Expanse implementation there are things every organization should consider ensuring their Expanse implementation will be a success.
Supporting Infrastructure
One of the advantages of MEDITECH MaaS is that your organization no longer needs the overhead of managing all your servers. However, that does not mean that the days of servers, on premise or virtual, are over; you will still need to maintain servers for any of the non-MEDITECH integrating or ancillary applications and systems that your organization uses. Ensuring that the servers that support lab analyzers, PACS, security applications, etc., are up to date and on a regular maintenance schedule is essential. Running outdated versions of server O/Ss for peripherals, especially those that integrate with Expanse, may make them incompatible with Expanse. Ensuring that upgrades and updates are complete in advance of your MaaS Expanse kickoff will give you, and your IT staff, a much better start to the project. You will not need to rush to do updates to integrate applications and peripherals with MEDITECH.
Wireless Network
Expanse is web-based, which makes it user friendly on a variety of devices. Workstations-on-wheels, laptops, tablets, point-of-care devices, and even mobile phones work well with Expanse, allowing user groups to work with IT to find the right device type for their workflow. Having a variety of device types that can access Expanse is a big advantage for end users, but it does warrant some significant wireless network coverage considerations. Before kicking off your Expanse implementation, it is advisable to do a wireless survey, even an informal one with internal resources, to identify areas where wireless coverage is not sufficient for running multiple devices, or where wireless coverage may not reach at all. A survey of end users may also help with this; end users tend to encounter dead zones throughout their days and may be able to point them out to IT, allowing for quicker remediation of the coverage gap. There will be areas where wireless coverage will never be sufficient, such as stairwells and elevators, but if most of your facility has good wireless coverage, end users will have a much better experience with Expanse.
Endpoint Devices
As mentioned above, Expanse works with a variety of device types. There are standard devices, such as thin clients, desktop PCs, and laptops, as well as newly compatible mobile devices, such as tablets and smartphones, that some end users may prefer for their workflows. If your organization intends to keep their existing devices to use with Expanse, it is worth taking the time to ensure the latest hardware and software updates are installed, giving the end user a better experience with Expanse than if outdated versions were used. For new devices, especially mobile devices, holding a “device fair” type event for staff is a great way to gather feedback and determine what new devices you should order. Talking with staff about their workflows will help determine the best device type is for varying roles; staff who frequently change units or round, such as Respiratory Therapists or charge nurses, may benefit from a tablet, whereas Case Managers may work best with a laptop. Nurses might prefer a workstation on wheels, while providers, medical records staff, and admitting team members may work best with a classic desktop setup. Expanse works with all of these, which means you can work with your user groups to find the devices that truly work best for their workflow. It is important to remember that all the device types will need to be supported, so make sure that you have the staff to manage the devices before expanding your fleet by too many different device types.
Analyzers, IV Pumps, and Telemetry
The devices that you will interface into Expanse are as important to successful implementation as the Expanse system itself, and just like your endpoint devices, they require maintenance. Before starting your Expanse implementation, it is worth the time to make sure that the software and hardware on your peripherals, such as analyzers, IV pumps, and telemetry equipment is up to date. You may also want to check with your MEDITECH contacts to ensure that your peripherals are compatible with Expanse. While most are, there can be challenges with older versions – challenges that could complicate or lengthen your implementation timeline. Once you confirm that your peripherals are updated and running on up-to-date hardware and software code, you are good to go with getting them integrated into Expanse.
Summary
Taking the time to ensure that the infrastructure and equipment you will use with Expanse is up to date and optimized will give you better implementation and better user experience. Issues with response time will be minimized, and users will be happier with devices tailored to their individual workflow. It will be easier to integrate different devices and systems with Expanse if they are all updated, which will remove points of frustration for your IT staff. Doing this upfront preparation may be a lot of work, but it is well worth the time and investment to ensure that you have a successful Expanse implementation and go-Live.